


Not So Lonely Anymore

by redrockbluerock



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Pearl Solidarity (Steven Universe), Post-Steven Universe: The Movie, Pre-Steven Universe Future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25278049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redrockbluerock/pseuds/redrockbluerock
Summary: Pearl goes back for someone.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Not So Lonely Anymore

They would come back. They had to. Research would continue despite the Diamond’s orders just like it did before. They’d figure out why the book was acting up. And she could go home. 

Until then, she would keep the place tidy. Dust that settled was dutifully cleaned up, the little creatures that found themselves inside the facility taken to entrances to find their way back out. 

Over time, she grew curious, her attention drifting to the books filling the Library’s halls. She was never ordered to look at them… But she’d never been told not to, either. They were interesting. Sources of new stimulation after so long. Every book she peeked inside would be perfectly replaced after it was finished. Eventually, she had every single book in the library memorized. Every word, their locations, the way the pages felt in her hands… reading simply became another chore. She tired of reading the countless books, craving something new. Her attention drifted to the log stations. She’d been ordered not to look at them, but nobody else was around. 

One little peek couldn’t hurt, right? 

Most of the logs were progress reports on a certain Tome. Written to record and show gem history, a few of them had begun to develop personalities. One of the Tomes that’d been studied here, The Fable, was a particularly ornery one. It originally would just ignore orders, or maybe get details wrong, but quickly started to rebel even more, escalating until it began sealing gems into its pages. All things she had witnessed before. There were a few bits of new information- most other Tomes had been incinerated, leaving the Fable as the final one in their care. It had been given all the stories from the other Tomes as well, which had made it react… violently. One gem had been shattered, and a handful of others were cracked. 

Her hand runs over her gem reflexively. She remembers the incident clearly- she’d been one of the gems the Fable had cracked. She was repaired -the only one who could be, and Yellow Diamond asked her how it had happened. She couldn't lie to a Diamond. Perhaps that had been why **she** was asked. Work on The Fable had stopped for a few years, before quietly resuming. She continues looking through the logs, before reaching the last one. 

Might as well finish what she’s started, she muses. 

_We are abandoning this facility. Work on the Tomes has been halted indefinitely. I believe this to be the cause of one of the servants, who has poisoned the Authority against the research here._

_An example must be made. She will be left here, sweeping dust and swatting at moths, awaiting a return that will never come._

_A traitor deserves nothing less._

She stands in silence, a few tears beginning to run down her face. 

…They weren’t coming back? 

She collapses onto the ground, weeping. Of course they wouldn’t. How foolish she was to believe they would.

Pearls were not gone back for. Pearls were shattered, rejuvenated, replaced. 

One wouldn’t turn back for a simple destabilizer or a dropped blade. A Lazuli wouldn’t return to a certain pool just for how it’s water flowed in her grip. 

Why would it be any different for her?

She grips her arms tightly, before howling- A terrible, anguished sound, echoing throughout the library’s empty halls. Her body glows like when one reforms, but this time, it's different. It hurts, an agonizing pain as suddenly she feels thousands of years of repressed emotions at once- anger, sadness, guilt, loneliness. Everything rises inside of her rapidly, painfully, violently, until suddenly it bursts-

And then nothing.

The library goes silent once more.

•••

She couldn’t stop thinking about her. 

It had been a couple of years since Steven had discovered Fable’s Book. Whenever Pearl had moments of idle time, her thoughts drifted back to the pearl. She’d been able to keep herself busy before, with little distractions- they couldn't heal her yet, there wasn’t any point to get her. Then, after Steven somehow managed to convince the Diamonds to help heal the corrupted, she’d been so busy helping friends old and new settle into the lives they fought for.

Then there was Spinel. She’d come to earth to exact revenge on the planet and creatures Rose loved so dearly- the ones she’d been left behind for.

Now, her thoughts drifted to another gem who had been abandoned. The Tome had called her the “Lonely Pearl”, though Pearl wondered if that was truly what she’d been called. A pearl’s nickname was incredibly important to them- it was the one thing they had. No pearl ever had the same nickname as another. Those who were shattered or rejuvenated were remembered, their name committed to memory by those who knew them. There had been a time where she also used one, but in the rebellion, she was the Only Pearl- the Renegade Pearl. Secretly she missed the times when it was just her, Sun, and Moon- though now there was Star as well. Whoever Lonely had been, there had to have been at least one pearl who missed her. Someone for whom her absence felt like a hole in their gem that could never be filled. 

Pearl paces for a bit, before walking over to the shelf that Fable currently rested on. She gently lifts up the old Tome, carrying her over to the coffee table. It’d become a habit for all of them to write to Fable, telling her stories that they had collected. The five of them had written to her enough that she could recognize each of them by their handwriting alone. Pearl’s stories mostly were about the war, but she had answered a handful of questions Fable had about pearls- apparently one of the gems making up her pigments had been a pearl, and she’d been curious about things she’d missed. Hopefully, Fable would be willing to answer a question as well. 

She opens the Tome to a blank page, before beginning to write 

_Fable. I have a question for you._

Slowly, words write themselves onto the page. 

_**I am listening.** _

**__** _Do you know where Library Nine is located?_

_**Why do you want to know? It’s been abandoned for millennia.** _

**__** _The pearl there._

_**Yes?** _

_She’s been alone for so long. I want to_

Pearl stops writing. How would she phrase this?

_**Want to…?** _

**__** _I need to help her. To give her story a better ending._

The page remains blank for a moment, before Fable responds. 

_**Very well. Just… tell me what becomes of her.** _

**__** _I will. Thank you._

With that, a set of coordinates appear on the page. Pearl looks at them for a minute, before gently closing the Tome and stepping onto the warp. 

She was coming for her. 

-

Library Nine was so much larger than Fable had made it seem. Still, the recreation **had** been very accurate, having kept everything that was important. Some of the lock mechanisms had broken down over time, most of the log stations were unusable, and the water that was once clear was now overgrown with unidentifiable plant life, but soon, Pearl was at the deepest point of the library- where the lonely pearl supposedly was. 

“Now, where…”

Pearl’s voice dies in her throat. She knew that this had been Her fate, but it was so much more painful to see outside of the Tome. Corrupted from her own despair, the Lonely pearl doesn’t even look up, resigned to her abandonment. She doesn’t look like a threat. She just looks… sad. Her fur had become a mess, her tattered wings drooping on the ground. Judging by the dust coating the room and her body, she hadn’t moved for a long time. 

“Oh.” She doesn’t even react to her voice. A weak whimper was coming from her- almost as if…

She was crying. 

Of course. Who wouldn’t after being left alone for so long that your mere existence becomes just a legend? Pearl’s hand twitches, feeling a need to comfort her. It didn’t matter that she was corrupted- pearls needed to stick together. They always had. Nobody else cared for them, so they had to care for each other. Without thinking, Pearl makes her way to Lonely’s side. She reaches her arm out, before pausing. How exactly would she do this without startling her? In Fable’s emulation, she’d been able to create spiked balls. Even as a mere illustration, with her senses numbed considerably, those spikes had hurt. If those spike-balls weren’t part of Fable’s powers, then she’d have to be careful to not aggravate her. Perhaps, if she went in front of her, then she could get her attention without-

Pearl’s foot accidentally nudges Lonely’s wing, causing the corrupted gem to jump. She turns to look at Pearl, a look of confusion in her eyes. There goes being careful.

“I’m not going to hurt you…” Slowly, Lonely lifts up one of her legs, gently putting it on Pearl’s chest. She pokes Pearl a few times, looking puzzled. Pearl watches her for a while, before it clicks. She was testing to see if Pearl was real. She hadn’t seen any gems in ages- she must have thought Pearl was just a figment of her imagination. Pearl gently opens her hand out to Lonely, holding it close to her head. The moth looks at her for a moment, before nuzzling Pearl’s hand with her face. She closes her eyes, looking to be at peace for the first time in a very long while. Pearl felt a tightness in her chest seeing this. 

“How long did they leave you here?” Pearl wraps her arms around Lonely, who presses into her touch. “How long have you been waiting for someone to come back? How long have you been alone?” She gently runs her hands through Lonely’s fur, slowly untangling some of the knots. The corrupted pearl coos, snuggling closer to her. Pearl sighs. “I suppose that doesn’t matter now. I’m here for you.” 

They stay like that for a while, Pearl gently working out the tangles throughout her coat. They’d both sat down after a while- even though gems didn’t need rest, they still could feel tired. Lonely continues to chirp softly, her wings slowly flapping. Pearl begins to hum- meaningless notes, but they filled the silence that weighed so heavily in the air.

Eventually, Pearl finishes untangling all the knots, starting to brush the dust off of her. By the time Lonely had been fully cleaned up, several hours had passed. The light was starting to fade here, but Pearl guessed it was almost mid-afternoon back at the temple. She hadn’t exactly told anyone she’d left- it might be a good time to return before the others start looking for her. 

Pearl stands, causing Lonely to immediately hop up. The corrupted gem looked sad, almost like she was afraid that she’d be left behind again. Pearl gives her a soft smile, patting Lonely’s head. 

“I’m not leaving you here.” Pearl says, before picking Lonely up. It takes a minute for her to get it so she could see around the other gem- Lonely was a bit bigger than her, with the wings and everything, but eventually Pearl manages. Lonely doesn't seem to mind being held- in fact, she was cooing happily from the contact. “Come on. Let’s get you out of this place.” With that, she begins walking. As she backtracked through the library’s halls, she could feel Lonely moving around slightly, probably looking around at the plant life that had suddenly taken over so much of the Library. She starts humming again, the sound soothing Lonely Pearl somewhat. Eventually, they reached the entrance. Lonely wiggles a bit, looking at the warp pad with uncertainty. 

“It’s ok. You can come with me.” Pearl whispers, gently running her hands through her fur. She wasn’t exactly sure if Lonely could understand what she was saying, but she at least was trying to be reassuring. “I’m not leaving here without you.” 

Eventually, Lonely settles back down, resting her head on Pearl’s shoulder. She chirps nervously as Pearl steps onto the warp, but a couple pats on her back soothe her enough that Pearl feels confident enough to activate the warp. The sound startles her a bit, but Lonely buries her head into Pearl’s neck instead of running. Pearl strokes her fur, trying to reassure her at least somewhat. After a few minutes, the warp stream dies down, leaving the two of them in the Observatory. Lonely doesn’t lift her head up, instead clinging to Pearl even harder. Pearl rests her head on Lonely’s shoulder- or, what she assumed was her shoulder, not every part of a corrupted gem’s anatomy really translated perfectly, beginning to hum again. Stepping off the warp, she made her way inside the beach house. 

As Pearl came downstairs, she saw Amethyst building what presumably was some sort of sandwich. The quartz looks up, before smirking. 

“Well, look who’s back.” Lonely pops her head up at the voice. 

“Hello, Amethyst.” 

“We were wondering where-” Amethyst stops, suddenly realizing what the fluffy mass in Pearl’s arms was. “...Is that a corrupted gem?”

“Yes.”

“…Why are you carrying her?”

“It was the easiest way to bring her back. Have you seen Steven?” Pearl sits down on the sofa, letting Lonely climb off of her to inspect her new surroundings. She didn’t stray far from Pearl, her gaze quickly fluttering around as she took in somewhere new for the first time in probably thousands of years. 

“He’s at Little Homeworld. We thought you went there when we couldn’t find you in the Temple. To visit your girlfriends or whatever.”

“Sun and Moon are settling in fine on their own, and Bismuth is a bit busy with construction right now.” Amethyst rolls her eyes. 

“Sure. You want me to go find him for you?”

“If you could. I don’t think I can leave her alone right now and she’d probably get overwhelmed if I took her with me.”

“Right. See ya.” Amethyst shoves the whole “sandwich” into her mouth, plate and all, before heading up the stairs. Immediately after hearing the door close, Lonely hops into the kitchen, curiously looking over everything. Pearl smiles. She was so much livelier than she had been a few hours ago. While she still was incredibly jumpy, running back to Pearl after accidentally waking up Cat Steven, it was a good start.

-

“Pearl! I’m here!” Steven stumbles down the stairs, looking as if he’d ran all the way from Little Homeworld. 

“Hello, Steven.”

“Amethyst said you’d found another corrupted gem.” He looks at Lonely, a bit of recognition on his face. The corrupted gem was on the sofa, snuggled up to Pearl, who was idly petting her stomach. “Is that… her?”

“Yes.” 

“She's very cuddly.”

“Thousands of years without any contact will do that to you.” 

Steven extends his hand out to her, holding it a few inches away from her face.

“Hey there.”

Her gaze focuses on him, before she sniffs him. Lonely glances back at Pearl, who just hums in response. Judging Steven to be safe, she pushes her head into his hand. 

“Oh wow.” He whispers. “She’s so soft.” He pets her for a couple minutes, before looking at Pearl. 

“I probably should be getting the tub ready to heal her, shouldn’t I.”

“You’re not really doing her any harm by petting her.” Steven pats her a couple more times, before standing up. 

“I'm gonna prepare the tub now.” Pearl hums in response, continuing to pet Lonely. The other pearl watches, her eyes following Steven as he heads into the bathroom. 

After a few minutes, Steven steps back into the main room. 

“It’s ready.” 

“Thank you, Steven.” Pearl stands, causing Lonely to hop up as well. She tilts her head, looking curiously at Pearl. “Come on.” Pearl walks over to the bathroom’s door, pausing to see if she was following. Lonely slowly steps towards the bathroom, tentatively taking it in. After getting a few steps inside, she puffs up, glaring at something. “What’s wrong?” Pearl asks, turning to face the offending object- a plunger. “Oh.” Lonely hisses, before hiding behind the laundry basket.

Pearl sighs, before picking the plunger up. There was no way she’d be putting it inside her gem, instead deciding to stow it underneath the sink. With that taken care of, Pearl washes her hands- just touching the plunger made her feel gross. The sound of the water running causes Lonely to lift her head up, looking around curiously. With the offending plunger no longer in sight, she calmed back down, continuing to investigate the room. Eventually, she looks over at the tub, taking in her reflection in the swirling colors of the water. Pearl dries her hands, before taking a seat on the sink, watching her with interest. None of them had actually seen the healing process in detail before- most who were healed had been in their gems, and the few gems that had been formed- Nephrites, mostly- were all healed in Rose’s fountain, allowing them to be completely submerged in the healing waters. Of course, the bathtub was nowhere near as deep as the fountain was, which meant that there was no possible way that Lonely’s entire body would be able to be submerged. 

Lonely dips one of her feet into the water tentatively. The limb starts glowing softly, it’s shape changing to look ever so slightly more like a hand. She gives an excited chirp, wiggling her wings before hopping into the tub. Her entire body starts to glow, before starting to change, her middle set of limbs retracting into her form. Gradually, her body shifts, her insectoid abdomen turning back to its original biped form, limbs gently moving themselves into their proper positions. Her wings shrink down a bit, but don’t entirely disappear, instead becoming about the length of the shawl she’d had before her corruption. Her fur slowly melds into her skin, revealing her face as her nose and mouth reform. 

Eventually, the changes stop, and Lonely stands. She looks over herself, turning around as she admires her form. It wasn’t too much different than the one Fable had shown, but it lacked the translucent shawl from before. Her wings and antennae occasionally twitch, a small smile on her face as she runs her fingers over her outfit, clearly excited to finally have her form back. 

Pearl slides herself off of the sink, walking up to the side of the tub. Lonely inspects herself for a bit longer, before looking up, her antennae perking up at the sight of Pearl. 

“Thank you…” Lonely whispers, her voice barely audible after millennia of disuse.

“…For what?” She pulls Pearl into a hug, dragging her into the tub. 

“You finally came back… for me. Someone actually remembered.” Tears begin flowing down her face, not from sadness, but from relief. Slowly, Pearl wraps her arms around Lonely, returning the hug.

The two stay like that for a few hours, neither one really wanting to break apart. Eventually, they leave the tub, stepping back into the main room of the beach house, hands interlocked. Lonely pushes her hair out from in front of her eyes, a small smile on her face. Her posture shifts ever so slightly, until she is quietly yet ever so loudly saying _Thank you._ Pearl’s own posture changes to the sign _I am here for you-_ then to _You are not alone. You are safe._

Lonely starts beaming, tearing up again as she pulls Pearl into another hug- one that is gladly returned. 

Homeworld might forget them, but Pearls never forget each other.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want Lonely Pearl to not have to be alone anymore is that too much to ask?


End file.
